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Topic: Blade-bound Alternate Class Features (Read 586 times)

Blade-bound Alternate Class FeaturesMany of the published classes can benefit greatly from the inclusion of Bladecraft. However, few of them integrate with the system as smoothly as the Fighter does. Included here are alternate class features for a number of base classes, which allow them to make use of Bladecraft more effectively within the framework of their existing class features.

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Analytical MysticYou have sacrificed some of your training in psionics to focus on Bladecraft.Class: Psychic Warrior.Level: Varies (any level for which the standard psychic warrior gains a bonus feat).Special Requirements: Bladecraft 1 rank.Replaces: You do not gain the psychic warrior bonus feat at the level at which this ACF is taken.Benefit: You may select Bladecraft feats as future psychic warrior bonus feats, and Bladecraft is a class skill for you. In addition, whenever you assume psionic focus, you can enter a new Form as part of the same action.

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Animatrix of WarYou are a general of undeath, striking down your foes with crackling energy while the ranks of abominations around you overwhelm with deadly skill.Class: Dread NecromancerLevel: 1stSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 1 rank.Replaces: You do not gain the Charnel Touch, Negative Energy Burst, Scabrous Touch, Summon Familiar, or Enervating Touch class features.Benefit: Bladecraft is a class skill for you, and you learn one Assault technique, one Form technique, and one Parry technique, each of Basic complexity. In addition, you gain the following benefits:

Whenever you deal damage to an opponent with an Assault or Parry technique, any bonus damage from Bladecraft dice is negative energy damage instead of its normal type. You may use this ability to heal undead by attempting to deal nonlethal damage with your weapon (with the usual penalties).

Beginning at 3rd level, whenever you enter a new Form, as part of the same action you may deal 1 Bladecraft die of negative energy damage to all creatures within 5 feet; affected creatures may make a Fortitude save at a DC of 10 + 1/2 base attack bonus (rounded down, minimum +1) + your Charisma modifier for half damage. Undead creatures in the area are healed by the same amount. You cannot use this ability more often than once per encounter.

Starting at 6th level, whenever you deal negative energy damage as bonus damage from an Assault or Parry technique, you may deal half the negative energy damage as Vile damage, which cannot be healed except within the area of a consecrate or hallow spell. Using this ability is an evil act.

Upon reaching 12th level, you imbue the undead you create with a measure of your skill in Bladecraft. Whenever you create an intelligent undead, it also gains 1 rank in Bladecraft, as well as knowledge of a single Assault technique, Form technique, and Parry technique that you know, of Basic complexity. If the intelligent undead later gains hit dice or class levels, it may choose to improve its skill in Bladecraft by taking ranks and learning more techniques as normal.

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Blade DancerYou are a maestro with your weapon, and the way you move is pure art.Class: Bard.Level: 1stSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 1 rank, Perform (Dance) 3 ranks, Bardic Music class feature, must know The Bear Sleeps in Winter.Replaces: You do not gain the Inspire Courage or Inspire Competence class features.Benefit: Bladecraft is a class skill for you. In addition, you can spend a daily use of Bardic Music to bolster your allies' skill with their weapons. To be affected, an ally must be able to see you dance. The effect lasts for as long as the ally sees you dance, and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives 1 Bladecraft die as bonus damage on attacks, using your ranks in Bladecraft to determine the size of the Bladecraft die. At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, the number of Bladecraft dice granted by this ability increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th). This is a mind-affecting, supernatural ability; it counts as Inspire Courage for the purpose of meeting prerequisites, but is otherwise unaffected by effects and abilities which improve or otherwise alter Inspire Courage.

At 6th level, if you have at least 6 ranks in Perform (Dance), you can spend a daily use of Bardic Music as a free action to exchange on of your granted tags for another of the same type whenever you successfully feint in combat. You must be in The Bear Sleeps in Winter to use this ability.

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Blade SenseYou are particularly adept at recognizing other students of Bladecraft.Class: Barbarian, Rogue, or any other class which grants the Trap Sense ability.Level: Varies.Special Requirements: Bladecraft 1 rank, Sense Motive 1 rank.Replaces: You do not gain the Trap Sense class feature (or any later improvements to that class feature).Benefit: You gain a +1 insight bonus to Bladecraft checks to identify a technique. Whenever you would gain an increase to Trap Sense (such you would gain for every 3 levels of Barbarian or Rogue you take), you instead increase the bonus to Bladecraft checks by +1. In addition, you can make a Sense Motive check to determine if a creature knows any blade techniques. The base DC of the Sense Motive check is 20, but is decreased by 3 for each tier of complexity above Basic for which the target knows techniques (17 for a target who knows Moderate techniques, 14 if they know any Advanced techniques, or 11 if the target knows any Expert techniques).

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CaptainYour training is even more martial than other Marshals.Class: MarshalLevel: 1stSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 1 rank, minor aura.Replaces: You do not gain Skill Focus (Diplomacy), or the Major Aura and Grant Move Action class features.Benefit: You gain Skill Focus (Bladecraft), and Bladecraft is a class skill for you. In addition, you gain the following benefits:

Upon reaching 2nd level, you can project a Martial Aura in addition to a Minor Aura. A Martial Aura grants the benefit of the Form you are in to affected allies (including granted tags, unless the ally is in a Form of their own), as long as it is of no more than Basic complexity. At 7th, 14th, and 20th level, the complexity of Form that you can grant increases by one step.

Starting at 4th level, you can direct your allies' use of Bladecraft. Once per day, as a standard action, you may grant an additional tag of any type to any or all of your allies within 30 feet (but not to yourself). Each of the affected allies is immediately granted the chosen tag, in addition to any tags they already had. The extra tag persists until the end of the encounter, or until the ally uses an Assault or Parry technique or enters a new Form, whichever comes first.

At 8th level, you gain the ability to grant an extra tag to your allies twice per day. The frequency increases to three times per day at 12th level, four times per day at 16th level, and five times per day at 20th level. A given ally cannot gain more than one extra tag from this ability at any given time.

Cunning VersatilityYour use of Bladecraft is often inspired.Class: Factotum.Level: 5thSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 8 ranks, Inspiration class feature.Replaces: You do not gain the Opportunistic Piety class feature.Benefit: You can spend 2 inspiration points as a free action to be granted a tag of your choice. If you were already granted a tag of the same type, the new tag replaces the previous tag of that type.

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Curse-SlayerYou have learned how to use your curses and Bladecraft in ways which complement each other. Class: Hexblade.Level: 2ndSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 5 ranks, Hexblade's Curse class feature, must know at least one Assault technique and one Parry technique.Replaces: You do not gain the Arcane Resistance or Familiar class features.Benefit: You gain an insight bonus equal to your Charisma bonus (minimum +0), which applies to damage rolls you make when using Attack or Parry techniques against a creature suffering from your Hexblade's Curse. Beginning at 4th level, whenever you kill a creature who was suffering from your Hexblade's Curse with an Assault or Parry technique, you can attempt a Bladecraft check as a free action (DC 10 + the creature's Hit Dice) to regain one daily use of Hexblade's Curse. In addition, you can select [Bladecraft] feats as bonus feats at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level.

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DaimyoYour samurai training focuses less on intimidating your opponents, and more on directly separating them from their lives with your two blades.Class: Samurai.Level: 3rdSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 6 ranks, Two Swords as One.Replaces: You do not gain the Kiai Smite, Staredown, Mass Staredown, Improved Staredown, or Frightful Presence class features.Benefit: You receive the following benefits:

Whenever you are in a Form and wielding both a katana and wakizashi, you suffer no penalty for fighting with two weapons.

Beginning at 6th level, as long as you are wielding both a katana and wakizashi, you automatically succeed at any attempt to retain the [Rend] tag.

At 10th level, you may use an Assault technique which requires the [Sheath] tag as a move action. To benefit from this ability, the chosen technique must involve drawing your weapon, and require no more than a standard action to use. You may use this ability a maximum of once per encounter.

Upon reaching 14th level, you may use your wakizashi in place of a shield for any technique which requires the [Rend] tag. If the technique involves one or more shield bash attacks, you make regular attacks with your wakizashi instead. When using techniques which involve a shield, the effective shield bonus of your wakizashi is +1 + the weapon's enhancement bonus; if you have Weapon Focus (wakizashi) or any similar feats or abilities which grant you a bonus to attacks with your wakizashi, these bonuses apply to the weapon's effective shield bonus as well.

When you achieve 20th level, you count as having 4 additional ranks in Bladecraft for determining the size of your Bladecraft dice. This benefit applies whenever you are wielding a katana and wakizashi.

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Deadly HunterYou are a tremendous stalker of prey, destroying your targets with incredible efficiency.Class: Ranger.Level: 2ndSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 5 ranks, Favored Enemy class feature, must know The Swallow Glides to the Branch.Replaces: You do not gain Combat Style, Improved Combat Style, or Combat Style Mastery.Benefit: You gain the following benefits:

Whenever you are in The Swallow Glides to the Branch, your Favored Enemy bonus applies to Bladecraft checks, as well as the dodge bonus to AC granted by the Form.

Beginning at 6th level, whenever you use an Assault or Parry technique against one of your favored enemies, you gain one Bladecraft die as an insight bonus to the attack roll.

Upon reaching 11th level, you automatically succeed at any Bladecraft check to retain the [Rend] tag when using an Assault or Parry technique.

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Devious AssailantYour natural inclination towards cunning and sneakiness serves you well whenever you use one of the basic blade Forms.Class: Rogue or Ninja.Level: 3rdSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 3 ranks, sneak attack or sudden strike +1d6, must know Cat Crossing the Courtyard.Replaces: You do not increase your sneak attack or sudden strike damage at 3rd level, and your total number of sneak attack or sudden strike dice is reduced by 1 compared to the standard progression.Benefit: Whenever you make a sneak attack or sudden strike while in Cat Crossing the Courtyard, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to the attack roll, and deal Bladecraft dice instead of d6s as the bonus precision damage. In addition, Bladecraft is a class skill for you.

Devoted SoldierYour training as a divine warrior has taught you to use Bladecraft as a tool of righteousness.Class: Paladin.Level: 4thSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 6 ranks, Smite Evil class feature.Replaces: You do not gain the Turn Undead class feature.Benefit: You may expend a daily use of your Smite Evil ability to use any Assault technique you know against an evil creature, regardless of your current tags or the Assault's required tags. If you do so, any bonus damage granted by the technique is good-aligned; however, if you use the Assault against a non-evil creature, it automatically fails with no effect.

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EremiteYou are a tremendous stalker of prey, destroying your targets with incredible efficiency.Class: Monk.Level: 1stSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 1 rank.Replaces: You do not gain the Flurry of Blows or Greater Flurry class features.Benefit: Bladecraft is a class skill for you, and you may select Bladecraft feats with your Monk bonus feats at 1st, 2nd, or 6th level. In addition, you can make an extra attack at your highest base attack bonus whenever you use an Assault or Parry technique which grants you at least two attacks. If you do so, all attack rolls you make before the beginning of your next turn suffer a -2 penalty, which is reduced to a -1 penalty at 5th level, and disappears at 9th level. If a technique grants you multiple techniques under certain conditions (and grants only a single attack when those conditions aren't met), you may only make an extra attack if those conditions are met; however, you must choose whether or not to use this ability before using the technique, even if the result of the technique doesn't grant you multiple attacks. You may only use this ability while you are unarmored, in a Form, and attacking with unarmed strikes or wielding a special monk weapon. At 11th level, whenever you use this ability, you may make two additional attacks instead of one, each at your highest base attack bonus.

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FoxYou are the soul of cunning wit and agile swordplay.Class: Swashbuckler.Level: 5thSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 8 ranks, must know at least one Form technique.Replaces: You do not gain the Dodge Bonus or Acrobatic Charge class features.Benefit: Whenever you are in a Form, you gain a dodge bonus to AC equal to the number of tags granted by the Form. Beginning at 7th level, whenever you successfully feint in combat, as a free action, you can change one of your granted tags for any other tag of the same type. In addition, at 10th level, your Acrobatic Skill Mastery class feature applies to Bladecraft checks in addition to Jump and Tumble checks.

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Furious GladiatorA barbarian who studies Bladecraft quickly learns that the long, weary hours of practice with his weapons bear fruit: his muscles remember the movements and perform them fluently, even when his mind is caught up in the raging emotions of battle. While he may not throw himself as recklessly into combat as his peers, his use of blade techniques makes him even more effective.Class: Barbarian, Half-orc Paragon, or any other class which grants the Rage ability.Level: Varies.Special Requirements: Bladecraft 1 rank, must know one Form and one Assault technique.Replaces: You do not gain the normal bonuses when entering a rage.Benefit: Instead of a normal rage, you enter a deadly fury. When you enter a fury, you temporarily gain a +4 bonus to Strength and a +2 dodge bonus to AC. In addition, you can enter a new Form as part of the same action as entering a fury.

This ability is in all other ways identical to the standard barbarian rage. At 11th level (when a standard barbarian gains Greater Rage), the Strength bonus increases to +6, and the dodge bonus to Armor Class increases to +3. At 17th level (when a standard barbarian gains Tireless Rage), you instead learn to prolong your fury while using Bladecraft. Whenever you use an Assault or Parry technique, if you do not attempt to retain a previously-granted tag, you may instead make a Bladecraft check (DC 10 + 3 times the complexity rating of the technique); if you succeed, the round does not count towards the duration of your fury. At 20th level (when a standard barbarian gains Mighty Rage), the Strength bonus increases to +8, and the dodge bonus to Armor Class increases to +4.

You can't use deadly fury at the same time that you use any other form of rage (or similar ability).

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IthronYou have learned to seamlessly blend magic and Bladecraft.Class: Duskblade.Level: 1stSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 1 rank, must know at least one Form technique.Replaces: You do not gain the Armored Mage class feature.Benefit: As long as you are in a Form, you reduce the arcane spell failure chance of any armor you wear by 5%, plus an additional 5% for each tag granted by the Form. Upon reaching 4th level, this reduction in spell failure chance also applies to any light or heavy shield you wield. Starting at 7th level, whenever you use a Parry technique, you can sacrifice an arcane spell slot as a free action to gain a deflection bonus to AC equal to the level of the sacrificed spell slot, which lasts until the end of your next turn.

Mobile DuelistYou have trained in one of the basic blade Forms so much that it has become second nature to you, honing your attacks even while you remain as mobile as possible.Class: ScoutLevel: 3rdSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 3 ranks, skirmish +1d6, must know The Creeper Embraces the Oak.Replaces: You do not gain the Trackless Step class feature.Benefit: Whenever you make a skirmish attack while in The Creeper Embraces the Oak, you deal Bladecraft dice instead of d6s as skirmish damage, and you may choose to sacrifice your skirmish AC bonus to instead gain an equal bonus to the attack roll. In addition, Bladecraft is a class skill for you.

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Soul AssassinYou have focused your training on using your mind blade as skillfully as possible, rather than increasing the mind blade's innate abilities.Class: SoulknifeLevel: 2ndSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 2 ranks, Mind Blade class feature.Replaces: You do not gain the Throw Mind Blade, Speed of Thought, Bladewind, Knife to the Soul, or Multiple Throw class features.Benefit: You gain the following benefits:

Whenever you assume psionic focus, you can enter a new Form as part of the same action.

You gain a bonus [Bladecraft] feat at 6th level.

Beginning at 9th level, whenever you use an Assault technique which requires a Gesture tag, if the type of damage dealt by your mind blade matches the Gesture tag (bludgeoning for [Bash], slashing for [Slash], piercing for [Thrust]), you deal one additional Bladecraft die as damage.

Starting at 13th level, whenever you are disarmed of your mind blade or your mind blade is destroyed, you may make a Bladecraft check (DC 10 + 2x the total effective enhancement bonus of your mind blade) to reform your mind blade as a free action.

UhlanYour studies have focused less on the rigorous domain of single combat, instead turning you into a tremendous cavalry warrior.Class: KnightLevel: 1stSpecial Requirements: Bladecraft 1 rank, Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat.Replaces: You do not gain the Knight's Challenge, Fighting Challenge, Test of Mettle, Call to Battle, Daunting Challenge, Bond of Loyalty, or Loyal Beyond Death class features, or the Mounted Combat bonus feat at 2nd level.Benefit: Whenever you are mounted, you can make Bladecraft checks in place of Ride checks to control your mount, or to negate an attack with the Mounted Combat feat. In addition, you gain the following benefits:

You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls whenever you are both mounted, and either in a Form which grants the [High] tag, or using an Assault or Parry technique which requires the [High] tag. This bonus increase by +1 for every 6 levels after 1st (to +2 at 7th level, +3 at 13th level, and +4 at 19th level).

Beginning at 4th level, whenever you are mounted and in a Form which grants the [Rend] tag, your shield bonus to AC (if any) applies to your mount as well as you.

Starting at 8th level, you may enter a new Form as a free action whenever you spend an action to mount or dismount (but not when a technique or other ability allows you to mount or dismount with spending additional actions).

Upon reaching 12th level, you may learn techniques from the Husk Style, as long as you meet the complexity prerequisites.

When you achieve 16th level, whenever you are mounted, wielding a lance, and either in a Form which grants the [Cleave] tag, or using an Assault or Parry technique which requires the [Cleave] tag, you may choose to automatically confirm a critical threat you roll with the lance. You may use this ability no more than once per round.

At 20th level, you are the consummate mounted warrior. Whenever you are mounted and in a Form, you deal +1 Bladecraft die of damage for each tag granted by your Form.